Wheel carrier



E. R. DRAVER.

WHEEL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 1917.

Patented May 30, 1922.

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E. R. DRAVER.

WHEEL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. SI, 1917. 1,418,184, Patented ay30,1922.

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E. R. DRAVER.

WHEEL CARRIER.

APPUCAHON FILED 05c. 3|, 1917.

Patented May 30, 1922.

4 SHEETS$HEET 3.

E. R. DRAVER.

WHEEL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31.19I7- 1,41 8, 1 34;, Patented May 30, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

. uni-m STATES PATi-m'r OFFICE.

.EMIL R. DRAVER, OF RICHMOND, INDIAN IA.

WHEEL CARRIER.

T all'whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EMIL R. DRAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel Carriers .and

. I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of-the invention, such as will enable. others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved carrier and enclosing receptacle for extra wheels and 'demountable rims of automobiles and is in the nature of a modification of,-0r improvement on the so-called."tire carrier disclosed and claimed in my earlier application, Serial Number 157,971, filed of date, March 28, 1917. Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and defined 1n the claims.

the machine.

In accordance with the present invention,

the back or inner plate of the combined carrier or-receptacle is incorporated with, or made a part of the back structure of the automobile body and is directly supported "therefrom, so that partof the back of the body constitutes a part of the main re-" shown in Flg. 1, some parts beingbroken' away and some parts being shown in verceptacle.

This improved arrangement not only gives compactness in construction, but eliminates the necessity for more or less expensive intermediate connections between the running gear and carrylng receptacle, and at the same time, gives a very intimate and rigid,

connection between the tire and receptacle. This may be brought about in a good many different ways, all, however, involving the same general or broad feature of construction, in that a portion of'the body consti-.

tutes a portion of the carrying receptacle and the latter is directly connected to and supported from the said body. Moreover,

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Application f led December 31, 1917. Serial No. 209,763.

with this improved arrangement, a rigidly supported spindle 'for carrying an extra wheel and for clamping the outer plate against the inner or back'plate and against the tire of the demountable wheel or rim, 1S not required since any kind of -an axially disposed clamping bolt will insure this purpose.

.The invention, in its several slightly ,varyng forms isillustrated in the accompanylng drawlngs' wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

. Referring to the drawings;

Fig. 1 1s a rear elevation with' some parts broken away, showing .what is believed. to

be the preferred form of the carrier ap-.

plied to or incorporated with the, body of an automobile Fig. 2 is a. view chiefly in side elevation but with some parts in vertical section and some parts removed, of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, some parts being removed;

Fig. 4 is a rightside elevation of the parts shown in Figs. and 2-;

Fig. 4 is a v1ew corresponding to Fig. 4,-

illustrating a slightly modified form and I with some parts in vertical section;

Fig. .5 is a fragmentary View in vertical section on the line 55 of Fig.1, showing in cross section the demountable rim and tire within the carrying receptacle;

Fig.- 6 is a detail in section on the same line as Fig. 5 but showing onlythe upper portion of'the inner or back plate of the carrying receptacle;

' Fig.

but illustrating a slightly modified-construction- I Fig. 8 is aside elevation of the parts tical section; v Fig. 9 is a View corresponding to Fig. 1,

side bars, the numeral 13 the rear s rings and and the numeral'14 the gasoline ta 15 the 'bodyshell of the automobile, which 7 1s a View corresponding to 1 I but illustrating a further modified 0011-.

latter as is well known, is customarily made of sheet metal over a suitable framework 15 Referrin first to the construction illustrated in F igs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the numeral 16 indicates the pressed metal back plate of the carrying receptacle, the same, as shown, being formed independent of thebody shell 15 and being diametrically divided on a horizontal line, and; at its intermediate edges having riveted thereto marginal metal angle strips 17 which, by means of a plurality of small nut-equipped bolts 18, are rigidly clamped together. This back or inner plate 16 noted is dish-shaped, so that it is adapted to receive the main portion of a tire and demountable rim or extra wheel. The back of the body shell 15 is cut out to receive the upper portion of this dished back plate 16 and adjacent to that part of the said back plate 16 that is interposed inthe opening formed in the back of said body shell, the latter is formed with an out-turned flange 19 that is riveted to the adjacent or contacting portion of the said back plate 16. .Thus a very direct and rigid connection is made between the body shell 15 and' the upper portion of the back or inner plate of the carry- 1 ing receptacle, so that the upper portion of the latter becomes, in effect, a part of the automobile body proper. The lower portion of the back plate 16, it will be noted, projects below the bottom ofthe automobilebody, and for this reason, it is made detachable so that forv the purposes of completing and assembling the automobile, the lower portion of the said plate 16 maybe removed to permit the vehicle body to be set upon the floor without damage to the permanently at- .tached part of the carrying receptacle.

The outer or cover plate 20 of the carrying receptacle is preferably a sheet metal rim pressed into concavo-convex form and havmg a reinforced margln-that' is adapted to -fit quite closely over the projecting rim of the 'back plate 16. To securely clamp the outer or cover plate 20 onto the rim of the back plate, I provide anaxial clamping bolt 21, which, in the preferred arrangement best shown in Fig. 3, has its headed end seated in a flanged hub 22 which, by means-of a rivet 23, is shown as permanentlysecured to the lower angle strip 17 of the lower portion of the back plate 16 and is rigidlyvbut detachably secured to the anglestrip. of the permanent or fixed upper portion of said back plate by a short nut-equipped bolt 24. This construction permits the spindle to be removed with thelower portion of the said plate 16. p j

The projecting end of the bolt 21 is threaded and the outer or cover plate 20 is provided with an axial perforation that adapts it to be slipped onto the projecting-end of said bolt. By means of a nut'25 that works with threaded engagement on the projectingend be carried through the tire by the plates of such receptacle. The tire-equipped demountable rim will be carried in the same manner. Preferably, the two plates of the c-arryingreceptacle are so formed that they will closely engage the enclosed tire and hold the extra rim or wheel rigid, and thereby prevent it from vibrating or jumping about within the receptacle.

The tire-equipped. wheel or demountable rim must, of course, be placed in the dished back plate 16 while the outer or cover plate 20 is removed; and to preventthe same from toppling out of this back plate, while the hands are removed therefrom to apply'the cover plate, I provide a hook-like retaining.

spring or flange 27 shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

In applying the wheel or rim, the top of the tire is first put into the hook 27 and then the bottom of the tire is pressed into the lower portion of the'back plate 16. The rim or wheel will then be held while the cover plate is being applied.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 4 differs from theconstruction just above described, in that the body sheet 15 is pressed inward at 15*, so as to afford a pocket to receive the upper portion of the dished back plate 16. Also, in this modificatiom the back plate 16 is secured to inwardly pressed portion 15 by short nut-equipped bolts or rivets, only one of which .is indicated at 28.

. The construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 is like that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, except that the back plate 16 is made in a single piece.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 differs from the constructions illustrated in the other views in that the back of the body 15. isnot cut or mutilated and in that the back plate 29 of the carrying receptacle, at its upper half portion, has a rearwardly projected marginal flange that is made to fit the outline ofthe back of the shell 15, v

a hub 22 secured to the lower back por-' tion of the shell 15- in line with the axis of the carrying receptacle. It is thought from the foregoing descrip- .tion to be obvious that theseveral effects and objects set forth in the introductory course, be varied; For vehicles having tops that can be lowered, the carrier will be set much lower than for enclosed cars.

The described arrangement of the tire carrier would make it possible to locate the gasoline tank atthe rear rather than in front; as shown in the drawings.

What I claim is:

1. 'The combination with an automobile body, of a carrying receptacle for extra wheels or rims, comprising a back plate incorporated as a rigid part ofsaid body, the lower portion thereof being. projected below said body, a cover plate detachably applied to said back plate with its lower portion also projecting below the bottom of said automobile body, and a cover securing de- Vice applied to the central portions of said back plate and cover, that portion of said back plate that is below said securing de-.

vice being detachable from said body.

, 2. The combination with an automobile body, of a carrying receptacle for-extra rigidly secured to the central portion ofsaid back plate and through said back plate directly to said body approximately at the lower portion of the latter, said spindle being extended centrally through said cover and having-a clamping device at its outer end, that portion of said back plate that is below said spindle being detachable from said body.

. 3. In a tire and wheel carrier structure, the combination with a vehicle body, of a cylindrical casing and cover therefor, said body having a recess formed in the rear thereof adapted to receive said casing, and means for securing said casing within said recess.

4. In a tire and wheel carrier construction, the combination with a vehicle body having a recess formed in the rear thereof, a cylindrical casing secured in said recess and adapted to receive a tire, or wheel and tire, and a circular cover for said casing telescoping overthe same at its outer edge and adapted to contact with the tire, or the tire and wheel in the casing .to hold the same firmly in position, and: means for securing said cover in place.

5. The combination with a vehicle body having a recess formed in the rear thereof, of a tire and wheel carrier structure comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be received in and secured'in said recess, a

circular disk cover for said casing, and

'means disposed centrallyof said casing and,

disk for holding the latter in position.

In testimony whereof ,I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL R. DRAVER.

"Witnesses ORRIN DRAVER, CLARENCE SHOFER. 

